Combination Thermo-Electric and Magnetic Refrigeration System

ABSTRACT

A refrigeration system has a compartment and a first cooling device. The first cooling device cools the compartment and generates a magnetic field. The refrigeration system also has a second device. The second device uses the generated magnetic field for additional cooling to the compartment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a temperature control for acompartment. More particularly, the present invention relates to amagnetic refrigeration system that uses a magnetic field generated froma number of thermoelectric elements that are wound in a configuration.

2. Description of the Related Art

Temperature control systems for heating and cooling devices are known inthe art. Such known systems use a vapor compression cycle to providecooling. Typically the refrigerant in vapor phase is pumped from theevaporator by a compressor. The refrigerant is then compressed to asuperheated vapor. The high-pressure gaseous refrigerant that absorbsthe heat is sent to a condenser. The refrigerant vapor is condensed tohigh-pressure liquid by transferring heat from the refrigerant to a heatsink that has lower temperature. The condensed refrigerant liquid iscirculated to a throttling valve. The throttling valve reduces thepressure to a low level and the refrigerant enters the evaporator. Thereduced pressure decreases the boiling temperature of the refrigerant tobelow the temperature of the heat source. In the evaporator, theevaporation of the low-pressure refrigerant absorbs heat from the heatsource that is cooled. Then the refrigerant is circulated to thecompressor to start the next refrigeration cycle. Due to the complexmechanical operations associated with the vapor compression cycle, thesystem response to varied demand is typically slow.

A thermoelectric device is also known and preferred over othertemperature control devices for the applications where compactness and aquiet operation are needed. This thermoelectric device avoids the use ofany atmosphere destroying refrigerants and is thus environmentallyfriendly. In one known configuration thermoelectric devices are woundaround, for example, a conduit. The thermoelectric devices also provideboth selective cooling and/or heating around, and in the conduit.

However, a known problem in the art is that the one or morethermoelectric devices generate a magnetic field. This magnetic field isknown in the art as being harmful to electronic components. Thismagnetic field is also harmful for other reasons and generally isdisfavored. This magnetic field may disrupt the operation of electricalsystems and is typically shielded against contacting an individualand/or components. Often, a manufacturer will provide an amount ofshielding in the system. This shielding prevents the generated magneticfield from entering, penetrating or contacting components or anythingelse located close by.

Accordingly, there is a need for a cooling system that productively usesthe generated magnetic field. There is also a need for a cooling systemthat uses the magnetic field to provide additional cooling and for amore productive operation of the refrigeration system.

There is also a need for such a system that eliminates one or more ofthe aforementioned drawbacks and deficiencies of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a system forrefrigeration.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a system forrefrigeration that uses a number of thermoelectric devices and amagnetic field that is generated from the number of thermoelectricdevices.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a systemfor refrigeration that uses a number of thermoelectric devices wound ina tubular or cylindrical manner and that uses a magnetic field that isgenerated from the number of thermoelectric devices by periodicallypassing a magnet in the magnetic field to complete an appropriatethermodynamic cycle such as a Carnot cycle or a Stirling cycle.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a systemfor refrigeration with the system using a magnetic field for coolingwith the magnetic field being generated from a number of thermoelectricdevices. The system periodically passes a magnetic material in themagnetic field and uses a change in the magnetic entropy of the magnetwhen the magnetic field is applied to or removed from the magneticmaterial.

It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide asystem for refrigeration that does not use any ozone destroyingrefrigerants.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system thatuses a number of thermoelectric elements that are wound in a cylindricalmanner and a second magnetic refrigeration system. The second systemuses a working fluid having fine magnetic particles therein.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system thatuses a number of thermoelectric elements and a generator that recapturesenergy and converts it to electricity from the magnetic field applied toa magnetic cooling system. These and other objects and advantages of thepresent invention are achieved by a system for refrigeration of thepresent invention. The refrigeration system has a compartment, and afirst cooling device with the first cooling device cooling thecompartment and generating a magnetic field. The refrigeration systemalso has a second magnetic refrigerator. The second magneticrefrigerator has a magnetic material and the magnetic material isperiodically introduced in the generated magnetic field for additionalcooling or an external magnetic field that is applied to a magneticmaterial.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a thermoelectric device.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a number of thermoelectric devices beingwound in a cylindrical manner around a conduit.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the conduit of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the refrigerationsystem of the present invention.

FIG. 4 a shows another embodiment of the refrigeration system of FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 b shows another embodiment of the refrigeration system of FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 c shows another embodiment of the refrigeration system of FIG. 4in a first position.

FIG. 4 d shows the embodiment of the refrigeration system of FIG. 4 c ina second position opposite the first position.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an another embodiment of therefrigeration system of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of still another embodiment of the refrigerationsystem of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a cross sectional view of athermoelectric element shown as reference numeral 10. Thethermo-electric element or device 10 is preferably a solid state device.The device 10 has a first P type semiconductor 12 and a second N typesemiconductor 14 with an electron as a charge carrier. Current from apower supply is passed through the N type semiconductor 14 to the P typesemiconductor 12.

When current passes therethrough as indicated by reference arrow 16,heat is removed from surface 20 and transferred through thethermoelectric device 10, and then deposited to a second surface 18 ofthe thermoelectric device as indicated by arrow 22. The heat removalfrom the surface 20 causes the absorption of heat from the adjacentenvironment through a working fluid in contact with the cold surface 20.Likewise, the heat generated at surface 18 is ejected through a heattransfer medium. This thermoelectric device 10 is well known and isunderstood by those in the art and requires no further explanation. Oneskilled in the art will also appreciate that the thermoelectric device10 may have another or a different configuration and the presentinvention is not strictly limited to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. Forexample, the thermo-electric device 10 may be tubular shaped.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a number of thermoelectric devices 10 may beplaced in a series 24 as shown and substantially or completely surrounda cylindrical conduit 26. Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a view ofthe cylindrical conduit 26 having the series 24 of thermoelectricdevices 10 substantially surrounding the conduit 26.

One skilled in the art will appreciate that once the number ofthermo-electric devices 10 surround the conduit 26, a working fluid 28such as ethylene glycol may be pumped or otherwise caused to traversethrough the conduit. The working fluid 28 will be cooled as it is passedthrough the interior of the conduit. Similarly, another working fluidflowing through the exterior surface of the conduit either in co-flow orcounter-flow pattern with respect to that first working fluid 28 flowingthrough an interior of the conduit 26 will be heated. This secondworking fluid will carry the heat out of the device for furtherejection.

Although shown as being used with ethylene glycol, the working fluid 28may be any working fluid known in the art or known in the future and thepresent invention is not limited to any specific working fluid. Thenumber of thermoelectric devices 10 surrounding the conduit 26 will thentransfer heat from the working fluid 28 or alternatively transfer heatto the working fluid depending upon the desired application. Then theworking fluid 28 can circulate away from the number of thermoelectricdevices 10 to traverse into a refrigeration compartment, cabin, or anyother desired location to provide a desired cooling and/or heating. Asis understood (and is well known in the art) the working fluid 28 willtransfer heat from the compartment to another external compartmentlocation and deposit the heat at that location.

One aspect of placement of the thermoelectric devices 10 in thecylindrical configuration as shown in FIG. 3 is that the cylindricalconfiguration has a number of benefits. These benefits include enhancedheat transfer, high efficiency, compact configuration, and ease ofmanufacture. One significant aspect of the use of such thermoelectricdevices 10 in the cylindrical configuration is that a magnetic field isgenerated. Great care in the prior art has been taken to provide a thickmember or a shielding to prevent this magnetic field from contactingcomponents and/or individuals.

The prior art also has taught that the magnetic field should becontained or handled and is generally a detriment to the operation of asystem. However, the inventors of the present invention have observedthat this energy or magnetic field is wasted. The inventors instead ofsimply shielding and wasting this energy, have instead used this energyto increase refrigeration capacity and increase productivity of anexisting system in a very unexpected manner and have yielded unexpectedbenefits from this wasted energy.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a perspective view of the system30 of the present invention. It has been observed and reported that theapplication of a magnetic field to magnetic material near a Curietemperature of the specific magnetic material heats the magneticmaterial. Conversely, it has been observed that this same magneticmaterial will cool upon removal of the magnetic field. This phenomenonis known in the art as the Magneto-Caloric effect that requires nofurther explanation because it is considered to be well known in theart. Referring now to again FIG. 4, the system 30 preferably has aconcentrator 32. The concentrator 32 may be any device or apparatus thatpreferably concentrates, modulates or amplifies the existing magneticfield generated by the number of thermo-electric devices 10 in thepreferred cylindrical configuration.

The concentrator 32 in one embodiment is a resilient first core 34 and asecond resilient core 36 made from a preselected material. As is shown,both the first core 34 and the second core 36 are substantially “C”shaped members but are not limited to this configuration. The first core34 preferably traverses through an interior space of the conduit 26. Theconduit 26 has a number of thermo-electric devices 10 or a firstthermo-electric device assembly 38. The second core 36 preferablytraverses through a second thermoelectric device assembly 40 having,again, the number of thermoelectric devices 10. The cores 34, 36 aremade of materials with high permeability to guide the magnetic field.

The possible materials for the core 34, 36 may be but not limited to aferrite U 60, a ferrite M33, a nickel, a ferrite N41, iron, a ferriteT38, a silicon steel, and a super alloy or a super-conducting magneticmaterial, or other suitable materials. The cores 34, 36 can have one ormultiple individual plates or one or more rods that are bundledtogether. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the number ofthermo-electric devices 10 are wound around a cylindrical surface orconduit 26 as shown in both the first thermoelectric device assembly 38and the second thermo-electric device assembly 40.

Preferably, in this embodiment each of the cores 34, 36 are made frommaterials with high permeability and concentrate the magnetic fieldbeing emitted from the first thermoelectric device assembly 38 and thesecond thermoelectric device assembly 40 so the magnetic field has afirst intense region and a second low or zero region. Since the fieldgenerated is proportional to the permeability of the materials, thecores 34 and 36 are preferably made with a suitable permeability.

Preferably, the magnetic field 42 has a first high intensity shown asreference numeral 44 and a second low or zero intensity shown asreference numeral 46. The first intensity 44 is greater than the secondintensity 46 and is maximized using available materials. The system 30further has a rotatable member 48 having a rim 50 and a channel 52 inthe rim.

Referring now to an embodiment of the rotatable magnetic cooling member48 shown as FIG. 4 a, preferably, a channel 33 has working fluidtherein. The rim 50 is made from preferably gadolinium, a pure material,an alloy and any other combinations thereof depending on the designrequirements such as operating temperature and temperature range. Someknown and possible materials are gadolinium or a compound thereof suchas Gd₅ (Si_(x)Ge_(1-x))₄ (with a magneto-caloric effect), alloys of Gdand Dy, and any other suitable alloy known in the art. The rim 50 ispreferably made from any paramagnetic material, ferromagnetic material,or more preferably the material with a suitable magneto-caloric effect(MCE). Preferably, the rotatable member 48 rotates so the working fluidin the rim 50 traverse periodically from the first intensity 44 to thesecond intensity 46. In this manner, the rim 50 of the rotatable member48 heats when the rim is in the first intensity 44 and then cools whenthe rim is away from the first intensity or in the second intensity 46.Thus, the working fluid in a channel 33 is cooled and is placed inspaced relation to another second working fluid or device that cantransfer heat thereto and then communicates with a compartment forcooling (not shown).

Referring to FIG. 4 a, the system 30 may have a rotating member 48 withthe rim 50 having a number of channels 33 therein. The channels 33 aregenerally cylindrically shaped and are located around the rim 50 of therotating member 48. Alternatively, the channels 33 may have anothershape other than generally cylindrical such as oblong or rectangularshaped or may be one discrete channel. Each of the channels 33preferably has the working fluid therein. The rotating member 48preferably rotates the channels 33 having the working fluid therein in acycle 51 as shown. The cycle 51 preferably to ejects heat shown asletter Qh with a first heat exchanger at a first location 35. The cycle51 also has a pumping mechanism and another second heat exchanger 37 forcooling as letter Qc to provide cooling. The rotating member 48 rotatesat a rate sufficient to transfer heat and to provide cooling from themagneto-caloric effect when rotating. Thus, the magnetic field 44provides an additional amount of cooling to the compartment. It has beenobserved that an additional cooling system with a high Carnot efficiencyof about sixty percent can be realized by the magnetic refrigerationcycle using a moderately strong magnetic field.

Referring now to still another embodiment of the present disclosureshown in FIG. 4 b, the rotating member 50 may spaced between two loops,or a first loop 61 and a second loop 63 to more adequately transferheat. Each of the loops has a pump 65. Preferably, the first loop 61 maybe disposed on a first side of the rotating member 50 and have a firstheat exchanger 67 for heat ejection. In this manner, the working fluidin the channel 33 in the rotating member 50 preferably transfers orejects heat into the first loop 61, that is in turn ejected to ambient.Thereafter, upon rotation a predetermined radial amount the workingfluid in the channel 33 provides cooling to the second loop 63. Thesecond loop 63 is spaced from the rotating member 50. The second loop 63will then thermally communicate to a second heat exchanger 69 andtransfer heat from the desired compartment.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, system 30 hasa ferromagnetic or paramagnetic material in a first member that isaxially or laterally moved to and from the magnetic field 44 to providecooling. The first member 71 preferably has a cylindrical pistonconfiguration and reciprocates from a first location 73 to a secondlocation 75. The first member 71 may also have the channel 52 with aworking fluid therein as discussed above. Referring now to FIG. 4 c,there is shown another exemplary embodiment of the system 30.Preferably, the first location 71 is a complementary location to arelatively high magnetic field and thus ejects heat to a first loop 77that is communicating with a heat exchanger 79. The second location 75or down stroke of the first member 71 is communicating with a secondloop 81 with a second heat exchanger 83. This second loop 81 providescooling to for example a compartment. Referring now to FIG. 4 d, asshown the first member 71 moves from the first position 73 to the secondposition 75, the first member will removes heat from the second location75 where the magnetic field is weaker relative to the first position.Once removed from the strong magnetic field (as shown in FIG. 4 c) thefirst member 71 draws heat therein from the second loop 81 for thecooling phase. The first member 71 preferably reciprocates a number ofdifferent times in order to provide additional cooling to thecompartment or other desired location.

Alternatively, referring to another embodiment of the present inventionshown in FIG. 5. The system 30 may alternatively recapture the energyfrom the magnetic field in the form of electricity to be stored in abattery or to power the number of thermo-electric devices 10. In thisembodiment, the system 30 has a magnetic cooling system 59 with a firstheat ejection loop 56 and a second cooling loop 58. An alternatingmagnetic field is applied to a magnetic cooling component 59 andgenerates cooling. The system 30 also has a generator 54 that recoversand converts part of the magnetic energy from 90 to electricity. Thegenerator 54 preferably generates and conditions electricity forpowering a thermoelectric assembly 57. The system 30 preferably has athermoelectric assembly 57 with a first heating loop 95 and a secondcooling loop 98. The number of thermoelectric devices 10 in the assembly57 have the thermo-electric devices 10 in a planar or cylindricalconfiguration. In this embodiment, the otherwise wasted energy from themagnetic field is recaptured. One skilled in the art should appreciatethat the electric current produced may be directly connected to thenumber of thermoelectric devices 10 or alternatively may be stored forlater usage. One significant aspect of the present invention is that theenergy is recaptured during heating or cooling for an increasedproductivity.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown another preferred embodiment ofthe present invention. In this preferred embodiment, the system 30 hasthe conduit 26 with the number of thermo-electric devices 10 woundaround the conduit. The system 30 also has a second conduit 60. Thesecond conduit 60 is formed in a loop configuration. The conduit 26preferably has any number of thermoelectric devices 10 being wound in acylindrical configuration. This configuration provides the requisitecooling and/or heating desired and has the second conduit 60 traversingthrough an interior space of the conduit 26. The thermoelectric devices10 are preferably wound around the second conduit 60 through the conduit26 at a discrete point. The thermo-electric devices 10 preferably form amagnetic field 62. The magnetic field 62 is at a discrete point of theloop, and preferably intense at that discrete point while the loop alsohas a portion of the loop located at a less intense other weaker point.One skilled in the art should appreciate that the thermoelectric devices10 may be placed at any number of discrete points along the loop so longas the number of thermo-electric devices are wound in the tubular orsubstantially cylindrical fashion.

Preferably, the second conduit 60 has a working fluid 28 therein that ispreferably ethylene glycol or alternatively any other working fluidknown in the art. The working fluid 28 in the second conduit 60 furtherpreferably has a number of fine magnetic particles 64 disposed thereinin a suspension. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the finemagnetic particles 64 have a size that does not prevent or impair anyfluid flow properties of the working fluid 28 in the second conduit 60.

Once the working fluid 28 having the number of fine magnetic particles64 disposed therein traverses into the magnetic field 62 and ismagnetized, the fine suspended magnetic particles 64 will be heated.Once the working fluid 28 having the number of fine magnetic particles64 disposed therein traverses through the magnetic field 62 the heatgenerated will be deposited to a heat sink through a heat exchanger 85,thus the temperature of the magnetic particles containing working fluidinitially increases and then decreases after it is passed through theheat exchanger. After existing the heat exchanger 85, the magneticparticles will then cool at another second location 66 with low or zeromagnetic field. The system 30 further has another heat exchanger 68 thatwill then transfer heat from the third loop to the working fluid 28 inthe second conduit 60. The third loop 68 will then traverse into thedesired compartment for additional cooling and for use as an auxiliaryor second cooling system. The magnetic particles are preferably madefrom the materials with large magneto-caloric effect as those previouslyindicated.

It should be understood that the foregoing description is onlyillustrative of the present invention. Various alternatives andmodifications can be devised by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the invention. Accordingly, the present invention isintended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances.

1. A refrigeration system comprising: a compartment; a first coolingdevice, said first cooling device cooling said compartment andgenerating an magnetic field; and a second device, wherein said seconddevice uses said generated magnetic field for additional cooling.
 2. Therefrigeration system of claim 1, wherein said first cooling device hasat least one thermoelectric element connected to a power source.
 3. Therefrigeration system of claim 1, wherein said first cooling device has aplurality of thermoelectric elements connected in series to a powersource.
 4. The refrigeration system of claim 1, wherein said firstcooling device has a plurality of thermoelectric elements connected inseries to a power source, said plurality of thermoelectric elementsbeing wound in a cylindrical configuration.
 5. The refrigeration systemof claim 4, wherein said second device comprises a rotating member, saidrotating member having a channel, said channel having a working fluidtherein, said rotating member having at least a portion being made froma material selected from the group consisting of a paramagneticmaterial, a ferromagnetic material, and any combinations thereof.
 6. Therefrigeration system of claim 5, wherein said magnetic field has a firstintensity at a first area and has a second intensity at a seconddifferent area, wherein second device has said rotating member rotatesfrom said first area to said second area, wherein said rotating memberis disposed periodically in said magnetic field for heat exchanging withsaid working fluid.
 7. The refrigeration system of claim 4, wherein saidsecond device comprises a movable member, said movable member having achannel therein, said channel having a working fluid therein, saidmoving member having at least a portion being made from a materialselected from the group consisting of a paramagnetic material, aferromagnetic material, and any combinations thereof.
 8. Therefrigeration system of claim 7, wherein said magnetic field has a firstintensity at a first area and has a second intensity at a seconddifferent area, wherein second device has said movable member or saidmagnetic field moving relative to the other, wherein said movable memberis disposed periodically in said magnetic field for communicating heatwith said working fluid therein.
 9. The refrigeration system of claim 4,wherein said second device comprises a coil, said being disposed in saidmagnetic field, said magnetic field inducing a current in said coil,said current for powering at least said first device.
 10. Therefrigeration system of claim 4, wherein said first device has a workingfluid through a conduit, wherein said second device comprises aplurality of fine magnetic particles, said plurality of fine magneticparticles being disposed in said working fluid.
 11. The refrigerationsystem of claim 10, wherein said first cooling device has said pluralityof thermoelectric elements connected in series to said power source,said plurality of thermoelectric elements being wound in saidcylindrical configuration and forming an interior path therethrough, andwherein said working fluid in said conduit is disposed through saidinterior path with said fine magnetic particles therein.
 12. Therefrigeration system of claim 11, wherein said plurality of finemagnetic particles are suspended in said working fluid.
 13. Therefrigeration system of claim 12, wherein said plurality of finemagnetic particles suspended in said working fluid, said plurality offine magnetic particles suitable to substantially not adversely affect aflow rate of said working fluid.
 14. The refrigeration system of claim12, wherein said working fluid comprises ethylene glycol.
 15. Atemperature control system comprising: a compartment; a first coolingand heating device, said first cooling and heating device cooling and/orheating said compartment and generating an magnetic field as a wasteenergy; and a second magnetic device, wherein said second magneticdevice comprises a magnetic material, said magnetic materialperiodically being introduced in a generated magnetic field forrecapturing said waste energy from said magnetic field and using saidwaste energy to power the temperature control system.
 16. Arefrigeration system comprising: a compartment; a first cooling device,said first cooling device cooling said compartment and generating anmagnetic field; and a second magnetic refrigerator, wherein said secondmagnetic refrigerator comprises a magnetic material, said magneticmaterial periodically being introduced in said generated magnetic field,wherein said second magnetic refrigerator has a working fluid beingthermally connected to said second magnetic refrigerator, wherein saidworking fluid is connected to said compartment for additional cooling.17-18. (canceled)